After work on a cool Friday I stopped at the dog park. I wasn’t feeling very good or motivated, but I tried. It took a bit to get the warm up line (kf, no comply 180 , fakie flip), but when I got the fakie flip it felt extra good. I got a first try halfcab flip and though this session was going to get real good. Nope. I couldn’t do another halfcab flip and I struggled with everything. I got a few heelflips, couple fs hc flips. Hucked nollie inward heel. Landed on treflip, but didn’t ride away. Then just started trying no comply 360 shoves. It took about 20 minutes. On the way back I would switch ollie a tiny puddle. Throughout the session I got wheelbite a lot. It was driving me nuts. I have the lower forged baseplates on so I guess I’ll switch back to the regular ones. I can’t believe how much wheelbite I get with 53s. Never again.

(setup 8.38 null lazer deck, venture ftc 5.8s with forged baseplate, venom 88a bushings, bones stf v1 pj 53mm wheels with all washers on the outside, new balance numeric 379 all black size 12, stock insoles)
(pain level 3/10)

Still fighting the funk I went out to the garage during the “bomb cyclone”. I kept it mellow always resting a bit between tries. I started out with a nosemanual 360 on a somewhat slanted sheet of wood. Then started trying flip tricks. Mostly started with kickflips and a fakie flip. Then altered between treflip and nollie flip. I was close to both, actually committing to nollie flips and the board wasn’t quite flipping enough. It took me forever to land a treflip and when I finally did it was one of those bad-both-heels-on-the-ground makes, but I count those in the garage. Skating seemed to make me feel much better. Hopefully I kick the sickness for good soon.

(setup 8.38 null lazer deck, venture ftc 5.8s with forged baseplate, venom 88a bushings, bones stf v1 pj 53mm wheels with all washers on the outside, new balance numeric 379 all black size 12, stock insoles)
(pain level 1/10)

After another day of working from home while being sick/pinkeye I woke up from a long nap then went across the street on a warm day. I was really out of it and skating in glasses is weird. I went through a long stretch of total suck. I finally got a line of front 5-0, manual around the light pole then backside flip up the curb. That felt really cool. Going the other way I was trying f/s halfcab flip, nollie back tail, back 50. But I had new shoes (379s again – black) and something about the new shoe/old grip and I kept sliding off on the nollie back tail. Argh. When I bailed I would try kick back tail. This is around when a crew of high school kid showed up and brought a ledge. They put it in the worst possible place, but it was still cool. I had nearly hit my hour limit (trying not to make myself more sick) so I didn’t get anything more than a terrible crooks and some accidental noseslides. I had also struggled with treflip on flat. Landed on a bunch, but never rode away. I also bailed front 5-0s a lot getting wheelbite on the way out. So annoying. I don’t know how people skate big wheels. I guess I like loose trucks too much.

(setup 8.38 null lazer deck, venture ftc 5.8s with forged baseplate, venom 88a bushings, bones stf v1 pj 53mm wheels with all washers on the outside, new balance numeric 379 all black size 12, stock insoles)
(pain level 2/10)

Still feeling like garbage with the added bonus of pinkeye I went to Broomfield park on a sunny afternoon to meet Sean and Kevin. When I arrived they were doing flippers. Sean was going fakie, Kevin nollie. Same tricks with the opposite stance. I just kind of played around on whatever. Trying hard tricks like 50 on the blue ledge. Ugh. Then we mostly skated the black ledge area. Well, those dudes “skated”, I struggled. Kevin did a dream line twice. Nollie front 180 into the little bank, switch nosegrind 180, back smith stall the brick qp, nollie nosegrind, nollie tre out of the bank. Full pull! Sean went through all of this tricks. The back lips to front 270 shove were so good. I tried a line of switch 180 into the bank, crooks, turn around, front 50, treflip out of the bank. Landed on the treflip, but never rode away. Got a couple front shoves out of 50. Since Sean and Kevin did halfcab flips out of the bank I did too. Pretty fun. Sean was doing f/s halfcab flip out too. So good. Kevin nearly died trying it because the board shot up and nailed him in the hand luckily saving his face. That was pretty much it. Sean added fakie 5-0 to his list of tricks.

(setup 8.38 null lazer deck, venture ftc 5.8s with forged baseplate, venom 88a bushings, bones stf v1 pj 53mm wheels with all washers on the outside, new balance numeric 379 tan size 12, stock insoles)
(pain level 4/10 sickness aches and some arthritis in my left ankle)

After not skating all week because I was sick (and the weather sucked) I had to get out on a breezy sunny afternoon. I went to meet Dave at the valmont manny pads, but the sunny ones were wet, and the other side was in the shade. So I started dorking around across the street in the sun. I was just kind of dorking around as I felt really out it. I front 180’d up a curb to weird tail stall shove out on the ultra mini bank. Then I was trying to manual to axle stall. Dave showed up. We ended up skating the “Jack gap” for awhile. We did a lot of transfer stuff. Dave thought the back feeble transfer was easier, I thought it was easier frontside. Dave got a no comply from the curb site, I don’t think I did. I got lucky with an ollie from the curb side, but Dave took a hard slam hanging up on the last inch of grass. Ouch. Dave tried some Natas stalls on the pipe in the background. It looked so scary, luckily he got out of them safely. I did the transfer shove thing which was really fun. Dave did a rock shove transfer. Dave’s cab transfer was sick. Both of us bailed our flatground trick after. Then we went across to the shaded manual pad where Dave did manual then nose manual first try. It took me so long that Dave had left before I got it. I did at least get a 360 flip on my first real try. Dave was going for a mega line adding nollie back 180 and switch nose manual to the line. He did a switch nose manual to regular manual which was really sick. It felt good to skate again. I can’t wait to feel better.

(setup 8.38 null lazer deck, venture ftc 5.8s with forged baseplate, venom 88a bushings, bones stf v1 pj 53mm wheels with all washers on the outside, new balance numeric 379 tan size 12, stock insoles)
(pain level 6/10 sickness aches and some arthritis in my left ankle)

On a snowy and cold Sunday I went out to the garage to finally skate this weekend. This winter is getting very old. I started with a few no pop manuals on the sheet of wood. Then started with some shoves, no complies, etc. Took a few tries to get kickflips, then did fakie flip, not too long to get a heelflip, and even less time to get a terrible fakie heelflip. After that I was doing treflips towards the garage door, random other tricks on the way back. I had a goal of doing 3 treflips in a row or at least a total of 10. I gave up on nollie flips and switch flips. I had gotten a few treflip, I think total I had 3 sets of 2 in a row, but never got a 3rd. The last tre was elusive, but I would eventually get it. I had also kind of done that heelflip body varial again. It’s pretty fun. I ended trying varial heels until I got one with the hands down. I had fun, but man I’m sick of winter and would like to skate outdoors on the weekends at least.

(setup 8.38 null lazer deck, venture ftc 5.8s, venom 88a bushings with no bottom washer, bones stf v1 pj 53mm wheels with all washers on the outside, new balance numeric 379 tan size 12, stock insoles)
(pain level 2/10)

On a warm day in the upper 40s I met Dave at Blue Skies. It was Friday, but I was feeling more than just flatground. The stiff breeze contributed to the lack of wanting to just skate flat. I was there for a minute before Dave. Long enough to do a couple ollies and boardslides. Dave started kinda slow. He bailed his first fakie shove. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him bail that before. I was trying a line of boardslide, 360 flip, front 50 the tiny ledge that for some reason scares the crap out of me. Only got one 360 flip, but I committed to most of them and that made me happy. For some random reason I rolled up to Dave and said “new trick Dave” and tried a varial heel revert. Instead I landed a heelflip backside body varial. It felt super awesome. It’s amazing how much satisfaction can come from a 1mph flip trick. Dave was going lines with boardside the end of the dragon rail, front board to fakie the main flatbar, fakie 360 shove on the bank. He got a couple of those I think. Oh and switch body varial hippy jumps over the flat bar to board stall pop over. There should be a better name for “switch body varial hippy jump”. Make up a name for it Dave. He also got a fakie flip on the bank and was going for f/s halfcab flip. I finally got a couple super slow front 50s on the stupid tiny ledge. Dave got them easy and with front 180 out up the kink . I tried a couple halfcab crooks, but didn’t really get in. Dave called out fakie nosegrind on the ends of the escalator ledges. Great idea. I needed motivation to try it so I lined it out. Noseslide to fakie on one of the taller ledges, fakie flip on flat, fakie nosegrind. Dave was lining to it as well. I had a good one, but bailed, a good slam, then finally got the line. It was a tiny jib, but still felt cool. Dave would get a few after I left to go back to work. Oh, I had switched bushings again. This time softer Venoms. They felt perfect.

(setup 8.38 null lazer deck, venture ftc 5.8s, venom 88a bushings with no bottom washer, bones stf v1 pj 53mm wheels with all washers on the outside, new balance numeric 379 tan size 12, stock insoles)
(pain level 2/10)

On a cold night I went out because I don’t really know what else to do besides skate. I wasnt that motivated, but I had watched some of the Sour video hoping for inspiration. So I went out in hopes of skating some different and weird stuff. I started on a speedbump, but quickly left and ended up at the bank with the flatbar against the wall. I had forgotten all about it. I dorked around trying some lines and manuals. I had put Bones bushings in the other day and they felt fine on flat, but I hated them out and about. I kept at it though. I was getting into noseslides on the somewhat shorter section before a janitor came and parked and messed up the spot. So I did the end. Well, as you can see it wasn’t really much of a noseslide. I moved on and ended up at Wells Fargo. I took too long to do a rock shuffle to fakie around the hip. Then even longer to do the rock shuffle 270. It was fun to land it. My legs were cold and sore and I realized I wouldn’t be doing much of anything. I skated/walked around looking for inspiration, but never really found anything. I ended up at the poorly lit little ledge in the alley near St Julien. Forced myself to do a front 50 and bounced.

(setup 8.38 null lazer deck, venture ftc 5.8s, bones medium bushings, bones stf v1 pj 53mm wheels with all washers on the outside, new balance numeric 379 tan size 12, stock insoles)
(pain level 5/10)

Went to the dog park after work. It wasn’t so warm out and it took me awhile to start trying tricks. I’m writing this several days later so I don’t remember much. I didn’t have any major hangups on tricks I shouldn’t. Halfcab flips were good. Got a couple treflips, heelflips. Some tricks like fakie treflip felt totally out of reach. I got super close to switch flip. I did a couple stationary flips while holding onto the beams. It felt cool. Tried a few more of those half flip late heelflip tricks, but never got close. Went home after an hour or so.

(setup 8.38 null lazer deck, venture ftc 5.8s, bones medium bushings, bones stf v1 pj 53mm wheels with all washers on the outside, new balance numeric 379 tan size 12, stock insoles)
(pain level 5/10)

Had the day off of work. Dave could only skate early so I was going to meet him around 9am. Kevin took a mental health day and we met Dave shortly after 9. It was way colder than we thought it would be. Like only 20 something. It did warm up quick at least. There were a couple bald eagles flying above us which always makes me smile. Not in a USA kind of way, but what a majestic creature. All three of us mostly start with shoves and stuff in the flatground. Kevin and I had brand new boards, Dave’s was one day old. I stuck with 8.38 as it seems about right. Kevin was struggling as he had his first non-DLX board in forever. He would get past the struggles though. Dave and I were trying no comply tailsides. He challenged me to it. It was funny because I asked him to film it. We’ve never filmed each other in this game yet. I wasn’t doing it anywhere near as well as him, but it was still fun. Around then Dan and Collin showed up. So cool. Then it turns out a lot of 98% would show up. Dar, Scotty, Ladd. We went on to have a fun big ol’ session. Lots of flatground was skated. I didn’t land much of anything for quite some time. Dan and Collin were killing it. Dan’s style is amazing. Collin did regular and fakie inward heels?!?!?! I was pretty blown away by all the tricks they landed. Kevin was in on it too and had a ton of good flippers. When Ladd showed up Dan had said he would do Ladd’s kickflip heelflip cancel (I have no idea what it’s really called). He did it like 3 times! I posed a few and it seems possible. Collin learned nollie bigflip in a few tries. I couldn’t get it. Dave was doing lines with cabs on flat then cabs over the back hip, super long tail slides on the bank, lots of really good stuff. It was a bummer he had to leave. Some ledge action went down. Kevin killed it with most of this tricks real quick. I had front 50 shove and maybe a slow crooks. Collin did crooks shove. I had a fun line of backside flip flyout (to complete halt but how’s counting), switch nose jib to forward into the bank, little scratch grind on the nub, no comply 180 on flat, fakie flip on flat, halfcab flip on the mellow bank. I got a treflip and f/s halfcab heel on flat, both were terrible though. Last thing I did was a flyout treflip and it felt really cool. Ladd was doing back 50s on the bank to ledge. Dan was trying nollie f/s flip out of the bank. Kevin easily did nollie b/s flip then pretty much ended the session with a nollie tre that was super good.

Then Kevin and I ate and later met up with the dudes at a little curb high manny pad. I was so sore that I couldn’t ollie up it the first few tries. Dan quickly manual, nose manual, switch manual. Dar was trying switch nose manual. Ladd was trying this weird pressure cancel flip to manual which he would eventually land. TWICE! At one point I pissed behind a dumpster and it kind of ran into the runway of the manny pad. Oh man. How embarrassing. It ended up being pretty funny though as Kevin was coming back and dodged Collin and rolled right through it. That was probably the angriest look he’s ever given me, but man it was funny. Collin was close to fs halfcab manual. Dan was trying front 180 fakie manual, then moved on to nollie fs 180 nose manual which he would also get after some struggles. Kevin locked into a kickflip nose manual and then the next try took the most amazing slam ever. He literally did a kickflip nose manual primo. It “rolled” about a foot before he Wilson’d as high as anyone has Wilson’d before. Ouch. He did try again, but eventually call it and chilled. I got a nose manual, somewhat close to kickflip manual, but gave up. I got a no comply flip up and some weird no comply boneless off. Dar was still going strong on his trick when Kevin and I left. Man what a fun day. It was great running into the 98%ers and skating with them. They are such good dudes.

(setup 8.38 null lazer deck, venture ftc 5.8s, venom 91a bushings with no bottom washer, bones stf v1 pj 53mm wheels with all washers on the outside, new balance numeric 379 tan size 12, stock insoles)
(pain level 3/10)